Ways to Donate & Support Asian Communities
A few years ago, my friend, Angela, sent me a card: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” A Gandhi quote. A simple “hey friend” correspondence via my beloved snail mail – pen to paper, handmade card, stamped, sealed and sent with love. But those ten words, that beautiful quote, was more than a friendly check-in; it was a call to action. Be the change.
““Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
What a heavy week. I’ll be honest, this week was tough with the mass shootings in Georgia.
The inept ignorance and hatred within this country magnified over the last two years have left me feeling so disgusted and so ashamed to be an American. In the past, many on social media have been quick to call me out as not being patriotic. But, to be totally honest, how can I be? It is hard to feel proud of my country when there is so much racism and discrimination amongst many minority groups.
As a minority whole grandparents and parents immigrated to this country for a better life, sacrificing, working hard to live the American Dream, I can tell you this… every single person on both sides of parents’ families are hard-working individuals. They didn’t take government handouts, they worked hard and they certainly didn’t “take anyone’s job.”
While I’ve never firsthand experienced racism, I can tell you this, you know when you are being judged, not welcomed, and when you don’t have a seat at the table. I’ve sensed it and I’ve felt it. Being told “I don’t look Mexican” is the closest I’ve ever experienced discrimination, yet this is nothing. I understand that I might not look at my ethnicity, but this where I can take a stand and speak up for those that can’t.
The hate crimes happening towards the Asian community hits home, particularly because many of my friends are Asian, as is one of my cousins who is half Mexican and Japanese.
When I hear that other minority groups being victims of violent crimes, it breaks my heart and eats away at my soul. Over the course of the pandemic, racist and violent attacks on the Asian community have increased by 1,900 percent, according to the Queens Chronicle. This year alone, the Asian American community has suffered a series of violent, racist attacks.
Truth be told, most people White Americans have never had to (and will never) experience racism, discrimination, or anything that a minority experiences here in the un-United States of America. I encourage you, to walk in someone’s shoes, think about what they are experiencing. We must stop the racism and discrimination amongst ALL communities, and stand united against hate.
I’ve organized this list based on what each organization does, from assisting businesses impacted by COVID-19 to providing legal aid and education. Many of the organizations mentioned below on this list are national, though several service-specific communities, which I’ve noted below.
